A hotel developer in Athens obstructs the Acropolis
Locals are protesting, and the government has taken their side
WITHOUT THE Acropolis, the rocky hilltop crowned by the gleaming pillars of the 2,500-year-old Parthenon, Athens would be just another down-at-heel city in southern Europe. This summer, because of covid-19, fewer tourists than usual have shown up to admire its painstakingly restored marble temples, built to celebrate the ancient Greeks’ victories over invading Persians and revered as symbols of western civilisation. But the absence of crowds has made it easier to spot an emerging threat to the distinctive Acropolis skyline.
This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “Attic views”
Europe July 25th 2020
- The EU’s leaders have agreed on a €750bn covid-19 recovery package
- The founding partnership behind this week’s EU deal
- After spreading covid-19, a huge European abattoir vows reforms
- A hotel developer in Athens obstructs the Acropolis
- A seaside-villa scandal sparks huge protests in Bulgaria
- Spain’s King Felipe is distancing himself from his father
- Why the EU is becoming more like a Chekhov play
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